The New Super Friends
by Darth Yoshi
Summary: Come back to Earth-T a year after "DCMarvel: Access Denied" and enjoy the adventures of the newest super-hero team of the DC Universe! A monthly series!
1. Issue 1

The New Super Friends

Volume 1, Issue 1 (December, 2004)

Story by: Christopher W. Blaine )

DISCLAIMER: The New Super Friends is an original concept of Christopher W. Blaine that incorporates characters, situations and ideas published by DC Comics Inc. and are used without permission for fan-related entertainment purposes only. This original work is ©2004 by Christopher W. Blaine.

_Author's Notes: The New Super Friends Series takes place approximately (1) year after the events of "DC/Marvel: Access Denied" and (2) years after "DC Comics Presents: Killing Roy Harper". Fans of the Wardens may remember an incomplete tale called "DC Special Series: Saving Donna Troy". That story, though unique and well-received, was never completed and all of the events detailed therein are not considered canon for this storyline. In other words, that story never happened…_

_**In an attempt to recreate the universe, the Time-Guardian murdered an innocent man. From the ashes of that crime rose a group of heroes from ages that never were to ensure there was justice for all. Now, those heroes protect their new world, banded together as comrades and as a family. They are the Super Friends!**_

"The Return of Harley Quinn"

Deep in the bowels of Gotham City, in a warehouse that had not seen legitimate work taking place within its walls for almost a century, a young woman found herself speaking to her reflection in the mirror. "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the nuttiest one of them all?" Harley Quinn asked herself.

There was no physical response, but in her mind the reflection changed from her own youthful, attractive features to the chalk-white visage of the Joker. "That would be me, Harl, old girl," the image said and Harley threw the mirror across the warehouse.

She wanted to cry, but she had cried so much that her tear ducts hurt. Instead she swung her legs around and hopped off of the crate marked "GUNS" that she had been sitting on. Her costume was long gone and she now found herself walking around her hideout in a pink bathrobe and two non-matching slippers. Even dressed so shabbily she radiated the hint of a dark, evil beauty that had more than once attracted young and old men to their doom.

It had been well over a year since her sweetheart, the Joker, had been killed. The rumor was that Batman and Robin had done it because the Joker had been aiding the Flash!i It was almost too much for her to believe! For months afterwards she had struggled with trying to figure out exactly what had happened to her "Mr. J" to turn him into, and the thought made her gag, a super-hero!

With the Joker gone over to the side of the heroes, and then the heroes becoming villains, and then those new heroes showing up, most of Harley's gang had given up crime to pursue even more lecherous career choices. Bobby No-Toes had started law school. Sam the Weasel opened an accounting firm. Jimmy Three Nads went and got himself elected to congress.

That left the Clown Princess of Crime all alone in a city not only without a Batman, but also with a police force that was a little over-anxious to wipe out the super-villain population. Harley, in reality former psychiatrist Harleen Quinzel, found it fascinating, in a morbid way, that it was the Batman's presence that kept cops from going over the line when dealing with costumed criminals. She had not seen any of her peers in three months, not since, it was rumored, that the cops had performed a St. Valentine's Day Massacre on Two-Face's gang.

Of course, things were starting to calm down now that the Huntress and Robin were back in town. Harley had first been made aware of the duo's return to the mean streets of Gotham when she had picked up a news program on the radio. After the heroes of the Justice League and the Justice Society had gotten themselves killed fighting the Legion of Doom, the Huntress had disappeared.

The Huntress, she was sure, was not the same woman she had fought in the past. For one thing, their costumes were different and Harley had made a career out of picking up the minutest details about a person. The new Huntress liked to show off her athletic body, which was fine with Harley, but she also moved too much like the Batman. The previous version of the crimefighter, one of Harley's old sparring partners, had kept her form covered in leather and moved like a madwoman sometimes.

For the past two years, the Huntress had been hanging out with the Wardens, who had become the Super Friends, out in California. It was assumed she would stay out there, but when the Super Friends built the Hall of Justice in Metropolis, the Huntress had come home with Robin to roost.

Already there was a change in the air. The cops were not being so heavy-handed and one of Harley's snitches had told her that the Dynamic Duo had laid out some "smack down justice" on a couple of the boys-in-blue who were roughing up a couple of hoods.

Not that any of this helped Harley. It was like trading one problem for another. She was a criminal with no crime to commit. She had lost her gang and her man. Her costume was gone, sold to pay for food. She could steal, she knew, but what was the point. She had no purpose, no direction for her criminal intentions.

The crates in the warehouse were empty; rival criminals had stolen everything as she sat there and did nothing. Even the Catwoman had come by and Harley had been genuinely surprised by the new, harsher attitude she had sported. Harley had tried to strike up a conversation, but Catwoman seemed to be looking for something, possibly her man (The Batman perhaps? Perhaps Kitty needed her ears scratched?). They were both alone and Harley had offered to console her in a way only a woman could.

Catwoman had punched her in the nose.

It had been the most fun Harley could remember having since the Joker had died, choking and vomiting in her own blood.

Getting up, she sauntered over to her radio and ran a hand quickly through a box of moldy doughnuts. She had to do something, she realized; she was in a deep state of depression and very soon she would just starve to death, which wasn't such a bad thought when one considered that the alternative was eating mildew-encrusted pastries.

There was a knock at the door and Harley raised an eyebrow. She was out of costume, she told herself, and not prepared to receive visitors formally! She grabbed a powered doughnut and rubbed it on her face, trying to give herself the pale jester look she normally sported in costume.

The door opened and a man entered, a good-looking man at that. He was dressed in a suit that was not very expensive, but it wasn't from the thrift store either. He approached her and she stopped applying powder with the doughnut and tried to assume a confident pose. She went to lean on an empty crate, keeping her eyes on the approaching hunk of man-meat (it had been some time since she had been able to exercise her feminine charms). Her elbow missed the box and she fell onto the floor with a resounding thud as he stopped just a few feet away from her.

"Oh, God, close your robe," the man said, holding his nose. "It smells like you haven't bathed in a year."

Harley cursed and slowly hauled herself back up, closing her robe. "And? Bathing isn't important when you have pizzazz!" she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

The man was on the verge of tears. "I can't believe I used to have a thing for you," he said as he reached into his suit. Harley thought he might pull a gun, but the way he was crying, there was no way he could aim. She was surprised to see that it was an envelope. "Here, Stinky," he said.

Harley reached out for it and grabbed the letter. She quickly opened it and skimmed the message. She nodded and smiled as she finished and then returned her attention to the man. "It says here you are at my disposal, with cash! Beautiful cash!"

"As long as it doesn't involve anything else," the man replied. "Unless it's hosing you down."

"I like it when they talk nast-ay!"

The WGBS Building in downtown Metropolis was one of the most famous landmarks in the modern world. Considered to be one of the icons of the city, it was one of those symbols that when seen, instantly reminded people of where it was from.

Metropolis was first settled in 1634 and had since become the largest and most popular city of Delaware. Six million people called the city home and a large percentage of them each night tuned into WGBS News to learn what was going on in the rest of the world.

There was a time in the not-so-distant past when the news always started with the latest story dealing with the Darling of Metropolis, Superman. The Kryptonian had come to call Metropolis his home over a decade before and had instantly become either loved or hated by each and every inhabitant of the 125 square-mile urban sprawl. Those who were honest of heart and soul had seen Superman as a beacon of goodness in a world that always seemed to sinking to new depths of darkness. To those who followed the path of evil, the Man of Steel had meant nothing but trouble.

All of that was in the past now. Superman was dead, killed in a conspiracy that not only robbed this world of most of its heroes, but had reached out through several timelines and dimensions to bring nothing but sorrow and pain. Yet, even as it seemed the sun was going to set on Metropolis, a new light emerged from the ever-encroaching blanket of despair.

She had come from a Krypton very different from Superman's and because of it, she was more powerful than he could have ever hoped to become. Many in Metropolis originally knew her as Shyla, a founding member of the Legion of Doom. To the world at large, Shyla had disappeared and they did not connect the new Super-Woman to the villain. Not that it meant anything; technically, Shyla had never actually committed a crime, except possibly the sin of poor judgment. Convinced that she had no other choice, Shyla had accepted an offer from the Time-Guardian to become his lover. But she had come to realize that her decisions, as well as her lifestyle choices, were getting her nowhere. She had felt empty inside, unfulfilled and lifeless.

She had finally attempted suicide but had been saved by the Green Lantern Hal Jordan. He had convinced her to take the reigns of heroism that had been left unattended when Superman had been killed. Super-Woman not only became a real hero and member of the Wardens, but she had also won the trust of the citizens of Metropolis, who were desperate for something to believe in.

But Super-Woman needed a life outside the costume and by adopting the identity of Linda Danvers, she had gotten one.

"And in other news," Lana Lang said into the camera, "Dawnstar of the Super Friends announced an open membership drive for the new team. Reports indicate that the leader of the team that replaced the Wardens has decided that the threat posed by the Legion of Doom is too great for the current team roster to deal with and maintain vigilance over the rest of the world as agreed upon in their United Nations charter." She stopped speaking as the small television screen next to the teleprompter switched to a taped report by a correspondent. She had a brief minute in order to relax before she was back on-camera.

She was the lead anchor for the station, having risen to that position after the deaths/disappearances of both Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Lana had found out that Clark had been Superman and she still found it hard to believe that she had grown up with Clark, even romanced both him and his alter ego of Superboy, and still had never guessed the truth.

"Day dreaming?" Linda Danvers, the long-legged blonde next to the blue screen for the weather map, said. She was a woman seemingly built by God to pile beauty upon and Lana envied her. She was tall and in perfect shape, but Lana was quite fetching herself. What she envied most was the confidence that Linda radiated despite the fact that most of the men in the building considered her nothing more than eye-candy.

Of course, Lana knew that Linda was secretly Super-Woman, just as Linda knew that Lana had once been the teenaged heroine Insect Queen.

"Just thinking about old friends," she replied. Her co-anchor coughed and Lana turned to see that it was about time to talk to the people once again. Her smile could have been used to light up the room as she switched to the persona that so many in Metropolis had come to know.

Most of the people of Metropolis saw her as the reigning Queen of Nice, especially with so many familiar faces now gone. None of them realized that how truly alone she was in this world that was now so strange compared to the one she had known only two years before.

"In other super-hero news, the eco-hero Chesire rounded up several men in Portland, Oregon, that were responsible for several hundred acres of protected woodland being cut down illegally. Local state police investigators were shocked and surprised to find the criminals tied up and greatly bruised, sitting on top of several cruisers." Again the light went off on the camera as the videotaped news story played for the people at home.

Linda called over to her. "Want to go do something tonight?"

Lana considered the proposition; there was always the chance that being seen with Linda would attract some of the better men of the city, but somehow she doubted it. Besides, she wasn't really interested in finding a significant other at the moment. She supposed that the truth about Clark was just having a greater effect on her than she had first admitted.

For years she had not just worked with him, but had also confided in him and yet, he had always maintained his secret away from her and Lois. Poor Lois! Lana might have been infatuated with Clark, but Lois had been deeply in love with Superman. She reasoned it was fortunate that Lois had never discovered how incredibly cruel her true love had been.

Yes, she told herself, Clark had been unkind in keeping his secret. It was as if he had never really trusted Lana, or Lois or even Jimmy. "I think I'm going to go home and fall into a good romance novel," she answered. "Rain check?" she asked, wanting to let the other woman know that it was nothing personal.

Linda shrugged. "Sure, I'll find something to do."

It was time for Lana's co-anchor to start his report when the door to the studio burst open in a loud crack. Both Lana and Linda were up and staring at the door while the co-anchor gave a cry. Bedlam reigned for several moments as people scrambled from the debris and smoke. Cameras were turning every which way as their operators jockeyed for a good position to record the action.

A security guard for the station that had been on the other side of the studio, flirting with a producer's assistant, drew his weapon and crossed the room in seconds, taking a position in front of everyone. His pistol was aimed at the door while he called into the radio on his shoulder. "This is Jones, we've got a bomb or something up here in the news studio!"

Lana looked over to Linda who had lowered her glasses to use her X-ray vision. The puzzled look on her face was replaced by shock as a giant bowling pin flew in and cracked her in the forehead. Linda went down but Lana knew she was unhurt; she had to play the role of a normal human in order to pull of the entire secret identity shtick.

A voice whispered in Lana's ear, the result of Linda's super-ventriloquism. "It's some woman in a jester's costume."

"Harley Quinn," Lana said in a soft voice. Linda's super-hearing would pick it up no problem. As if on cue, the Queen of Criminal Comedy back flipped into the room and landed on the guard's chest with a thud. He went down and his gun went off, hitting one of the overhead lights. Harley stood there in the sparks looking like a deranged demon. "Howdy boys and girls! It's Harley time!"

A man whom Lana did not recognize stepped into the studio, using various martial arts moves to push back those who were trying to escape. As soon as he was inside the room, he turned and pulled out a spray can. Holding it at the ruined doorway, he sprayed a green mist that hardened and became an impenetrable wall of unknown material.

People scattered and some screamed as the man stepped into the control room and became a one-man wave of destruction, shoving people around and finally brandishing a menacing looking pistol. Harley, for her part, pounded a few heads and then walked up to one of the cameramen. "Keep that thing on me or you'll be using it to look for colon polyps!" she said and the operator nodded excitedly.

Harley turned around to everyone and saw that Lana was still standing. "Didn't I kill you, or was it the weather whore?" She shrugged. "Doesn't matter, I can kill all of you later."

Lana looked over to Linda, who was lying on the floor, scanning the area. Lana knew that if Harley or her partner moved towards actually hurting someone seriously, then secret identity or not, Super-Woman was going to save the day. "Hey, you like girls or somethin'?" Harley asked. "Yeah, she's cute to look at, but there's nothing upstairs if you know what I mean." Harley jumped over to the news desk and landed on top of it. The co-anchor had already fainted and Harley kicked him out of his chair. "Look at me!" she said, thrusting her chest out. "I do so love a woman with a little fire down below," she said, patting Lana's red locks.

"You make me sick," Lana said, her face indicating her disgust. "What do you want?"

Harley paused for a moment and listened to the protests of her captive audience. "God, a little quiet would be nice and maybe an herbal enema." She plopped onto the desk and without even looking, reached out and shoved Lana off of her feet. Harley's enhanced strength allowed her to do so without problem.

"What I want is simple, cause I'm a girl with simple needs," Harley said into the camera. "I'd like to have my Puddin' back, but he went and turned traitor on me. I'd like to burn down a few orphanages, but the price of gasoline is shooting through the roof. I'd like world peace, just so I could start a war and ruin everyone's day." She then stopped and tapped her finger against her chin as she contemplated her next answer. "But I suppose what I really want to do is provide quality family programming."

Lana shook her head and saw that she had broken a heel. Cursing silently, she pulled off the shoe and its twin before standing up. "Hey, hey! Look everyone! It's our old pal Lana the lesbian!" Harley leaned in towards the camera and put her hand up to shield her voice. In a voice barely above a whisper she spoke to the audience. "I think she likes the weather girl. What a slut!"

"Harley!" the man called and he indicated that they had little time to waste by tapping his watch.

She rolled her eyes and sat back, reaching back to shove Lana again. Once more the newswoman fell to the floor behind the news desk. "Oh, okay. Men!" she announced as she rolled off of the desktop to land in Lana's vacant chair. Lana made to protest when Harley gave her a smack upside the face. The blow stunned Lana, but she managed to shake her head enough that Linda knew not to jeopardize her identity.

"Ladies and germs," Harley announced, "tonight you will be treated to a night of entertainment that will leave you speechless! You see, you are all about to experience Harley-Vision!" Nobody said anything and Harley squinted her eyes. "Clap, damn you!"

The captive audience looked around at each other and then one by one, they began to smack their hands together. Harley nodded and sat back, reveling in the spotlight. It had been too long since she had basked in it and she had to admit, it felt good. It really was too bad that her Puddin' had died; he would have enjoyed this and would have thought this caper was the icing on the cake.

Far away from the WGBS studios and the horror about to be perpetuated there, in the relative calm of the New Mexico badlands, a man was dying. He was once a muscular man, but muscle was now replaced with memory. His once proud brow was shriveled and sunburned and he was starting to realize that even his willpower, as great as it was, could no longer keep him alive.

He had been hiding for two years, gripped with terror, something he had not felt very often in his life and certainly not to the degree that he was experiencing it now. It had unraveled him, had driven him over the edge of sanity as he huddled inside a cave, waiting for them to find him. They never had, the heroes and the villains had bypassed him and all he had for company for 24 months had been the ghosts of former friends.

Voices called to him in the night, telling him to surrender to the inevitable, but he had stubbornly refused. Though his body slowly wasted away as he ate nothing but the occasional bug, snake or spider, his mind remained ever alert, aware that if he ever relinquished his control over the green field, he would die. It was his power ring that kept him alive, not the meager food he consumed.

John Stewart had not been the first Green Lantern, but right now he was the last. If there still was a Corps, they had not bothered to come to Earth to check on him and he doubted they ever would. After Hal Jordan had killed Guy Gardner and then went after Alan Scott, they had probably written the Earth off as a complete waste.

"So tired," he moaned, his vocal cords stinging as he tried to force air through them. He had stopped speaking to conserve energy three months before.

Inside his powerful mind he sighed, knowing what his duty was. They had not found him, but they had killed him all the same. His fear had rotted him from the inside out and now he had to pass on his ring. It was his part of the oath he had taken when he had accepted his posting as an alternate Green Lantern.

"Find…me a replace…ment," he choked out. He did not have to speak the words, but the sane part of him found comfort in them. "No fear but also…innocent, no am…bition."

A green comet of light ejected from the ring, exited the cave and shot into the air. In much the same way, Abin Sur had selected Hal Jordan to replace him many years before. John wondered if he had actually done it and then the fear set in that he hadn't given the right command. Fear was always eating away at him.

It was a horrible existence for a man who was once fearless.

i Refer to Chapter 6 of "Killing Roy Harper" to find out exactly what transpired between the Joker and the Flash!


	2. Issue 2

The New Super Friends

Volume 2, Issue 2 (January, 2005)

Story by: Christopher W. Blaine )

DISCLAIMER: The New Super Friends is an original concept of Christopher W. Blaine that incorporates characters, situations and ideas published by DC Comics Inc. and are used without permission for fan-related entertainment purposes only. This original work is ©2004 by Christopher W. Blaine.

_**In an attempt to recreate the universe, the Time-Guardian murdered an innocent man. From the ashes of that crime rose a group of heroes from ages that never were to ensure there was justice for all. Now, those heroes protect their new world, banded together as comrades and as a family. They are the Super Friends!**_

"Crisis Before the Camera!"

Inside the WGBS newsroom, within the building that was highlighted with the station logo, Harley Quinn was doing her best to keep her viewing audience entertained while her partner busied himself working on something in the control room. Most of the staff was safely secured in a corner, and two union workers were moving over to help the "injured" Linda Danvers up to her feet after Harley had attacked her with a bowling pin.

Unknown to the workmen, Linda was secretly the Darling of Metropolis, Super-Woman, and was completely uninjured as a result of the attack. Behind Harley, on the floor under the news desk, Lana Lang, the lead anchor for the news station, nursed her minor injuries and was anxiously awaiting the signal from Linda to bust Harley upside the chin.

In her younger days, Lana had been a super-hero as well. As Insect Queen, she had not only pursued the criminals of Smallville, but also the heart of Superboy. Those were long years and fifteen pounds in the past; her days of heroics long behind her. She knew that Linda was Super-Woman and she considered it her mission as a friend to help protect her secret identity. That meant when it was time to start swinging, Lana was going to apply her own brand of justice.

The man in the control room, Lana noted, was tall and good-looking, with the features that made him look more like an international businessman than that of a criminal terrorist. That told Lana volumes since she knew that in the past Harley normally surrounded herself with mildly intelligent thugs. The suit that the man was wearing was worth more than two weeks of Lana's salary, and, since the loss of Clark Kent, that was not a small amount.

Someone or some group with money was financing Harley and that meant the Legion of Doom. Under the iron-fisted rule of Lex Luthor, the Legion of Doom had been striving to become the most powerful force for evil outside the gates of Hell.

For the past year, Luthor had been using the identity of Dominus and had been haphazardly running the Legion. The group had been more of a joke than the harbinger of doom for decency as Luthor tried to maintain a fragile peace with the Wardens. When other members of the Legion finally called him to task about his leadership, Luthor's personality reverted back to that of a criminal mastermind.

The new Legion of Doom had declared war on humanity and the only thing standing between it and its goals was the Super Friends, under the leadership of the beautiful winged mutant, Dawnstar.

Lana was in a position to watch the man in the control room while Harley continued to babble and laugh at the camera. She turned towards Linda, who was assuring the burly workmen that she was fine. Linda gave a small shake of her head, again telling Lana to refrain from violence. Whatever Harley's plan was, it was obvious that Super-Woman wanted to learn more.

The former Insect Queen did not agree with that philosophy. As far as she was concerned, it was time to kick ass and take names, but she also knew that Super-Woman was not a crime fighter at heart. Originally from Krypton, Shyla (Linda Danver's real Kryptonian name) had been a scientist and scientists preferred to do things slowly.i

It was an unfair statement and she knew it because at least Shyla was still in costume, trying to make a difference on a planet that had seen so much death and violence. Van Zee, the former Nightwing, possessed powers just like Super-Woman, but he had lost the desire to use them. He had become a scientist once again, leaving behind a heroic legacy that included his cousin Superman.

The man in the control room gave her a thumb's-up and Harley giggled with glee. She pulled a real automatic pistol from her belt and aimed it at the cameraman for Camera #2. "You, tech type! It's time for my close-up!"

The cameraman obeyed, moving over to comply with Harley's demands. Her henchman did something in the control room and the lights dimmed slightly and then Harley cleared her throat. Nearly everyone in the room focused on the television monitors located throughout the studio, including Linda Danvers. Lana, on the other hand, kept her eyes on Harley, waiting to see if an opportunity arose that could change the situation.

"Hello, Metropolis!" Harley called into the camera, oblivious to the fact that millions had been watching her for the last few minutes. "I'm Harley Quinn," she again stated.

"Many of you probably know me from time as the better part of the Dynamic Duo, Puddin' and the Nympho," she said with joy. Then she leaned into the camera. "I was the nympho! And, boy, did I love being covered in Puddin'!" Someone played a sound effect of a drum roll, the kind often found in comedy acts to punctuate a punch line.

"My Puddin' died about a year or two back and I didn't have the money to buy him no flowers," she said, tears starting to flow from her eyes. She pulled out a handkerchief embroidered with the Joker's picture. Lana shook her head and then noticed something strange.

All around her she started to hear sniffling. One burly lighting technician, covered in tattoos and wearing a goatee, began bawling like a baby, saying, "it ain't fair". Harley went on and on, complaining how she had lost her money at the racetrack and then how she was mugged and finally, she added with a scripted swoon, she had been fooled onto giving her money to a gigolo that had promised her the world.

Linda was also crying, looking at the monitor and shaking her head. The scene was the same through out the studio and probably throughout the city if their ratings were true and accurate. Lana avoided looking at any of the television screens, but she did her best to look as if she were affected. Now they were in real trouble!

Even if only ten percent of the city were under Harley's influence, it would spell disaster for local law enforcement. People could start becoming overly depressed, perhaps even start contemplating suicide. Was that Harley's game?

"So, I was hoping, actually…I'm sort of demanding, that all of you give me some money to buy my Puddin' some flowers for his grave," she told her audience. She finished her speech with directions on where to send the money. Then the transmission was cut to be replaced by a weird cartoon of two cats that hallucinated because they refused to take their special medicine.

People in the studio were begging to be set free so they could get their wallets and pocketbooks out, but Harley ignored them, actually seeming to bask in their wails of despair. Lana, needing to stick with her act, pretended to cry and moved over to where her purse was. Harley saw her and made some snide comment about how better Lana was now that she was docile.

Linda brought over her own purse and dug through it to get her pocketbook. She handed Harley all of the money she had, plus a credit card. The former partner of the Joker shook her head at the paltry sum and told Linda to just go sit down. "I think, you airhead, that if you just did what you did best, we would all be happy." Then she paused and grabbed Linda by the arm. "You are kinda cute, though."

She let Linda go, not realizing that she had complete control over one of the most powerful beings on the planet and then turned her attention to the good-looking man, whom she referred to as Gunther. "Once ten million dollars has been deposited into the account, my orders are to get you out of here," he said.

Harley clapped her hands. "Goody! Then do we get to hubba-hubba?"

A look of disgust washed over Gunther's face. "I told you, leave me alone! My job is to help you through the initiation process," he told her. Lana realized that what she was observing, what she was caught up in the middle of, was nothing more than a test to get Harley onto the Legion of Doom. Ten million dollars and a show-stopping crime were what was required.

That got Lana thinking. How many other former super-villains were waiting out there in the world to get their second chance? So many people had been focusing on what had happened to all of the super-heroes that many forgot about their foes. Certainly several were killed, being seen as direct competition to the Legion of Doom. Some, like the Joker, had betrayed their criminal roots and had paid a price for their heroism.

Lana reached into her purse, her hand searching for something in particular as she let loose with a deep sob. Harley looked over at her and told her to go sit back down. Lana complied, her finger just managing to press the emergency signal button of her Super Friends Trouble Call.

Far away in Central Cityii, the huge monitors within the Hall of Justice suddenly changed from scenes of various parts of the world to black screens with the words "Trouble Alert" flashing red on them. A warning signal blared in the background as the three heroes on duty scrambled to determine the source of the alert.

The leader of the team, Dawnstar, floated high above, her wings allowing her to reach the fine tuning adjustments that had been installed. The equipment was relatively new and untested and still needed to be calibrated. A woman of exotic beauty and Native American heritage, she had once been a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century. That was long behind her now as she was doing her best to settle into a world that had been ancient history to her.

Luckily, she had always been fascinated with the late 20th and early 21st centuries and had become something of an amateur historian. Living in this time period wasn't all bad, though she did miss the expertise of Brainiac 5. She was a tracker by training, not a technician and she, like her friends, was "winging" it as they went along.

Below her, clad in a green bikini-like costume was Tsunami, the former Aquagirl. She cursed and smacked the console as she tried to figure out where the audible alarm silencer was. "Is there something wrong with great big large labels?" she asked out loud.

Racing around the room, looking like nothing more than a red ghost, the Flash checked and rechecked every item that seemed to be a button until finally he found the right one, next to his wife's hand. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "You tried," he offered.

"Put the damn thing underwater and we'll see how fast I find it. It's so stifling trying to listen through something as nonconductive as air," she said with a grin. Dawnstar landed beside her and tried to hide her expression. The one person she had been able to relate to, romantically, had been Hawkman, but that was someone she purposely tried not to think about.

Every time she looked at the Flash and Tsunami, it tore at her heart just a little more. All Dawnstar had now was her duty.

A face appeared on the monitor and a small line of text revealed it was the police chief of Metropolis. "Super Friends! Thank the stars I found you!"

"That's why we installed Trouble Alert monitors in every precinct, Chief," the Flash said, folding his arms over his chest. He was very quick with the wit these days and Dawnstar suspected that his upbeat mood had to do with the child Tsunami was expecting.

"Yes," the officer replied dryly. "Anyway, we have a bad situation here. Harley Quinn has come out of hiding and has taken over the WGBS news room." Suddenly the situation did not call for jokes.

"Have you tried getting a hold of Super-Woman?" Dawnstar asked. "She does routinely patrol your city."

"It isn't like we have an 'S' signal we can light up in the sky when we need her and besides," the chief said, "She's a member of your team!"

"Has she demanded anything?" Tsunami asked as she moved to a secondary monitor and pulled up the file on Harley Quinn. It was full of information retrieved from the Batcave by the Huntress.

The police chief removed his hat and patted his balding head with a cloth. "She's done something to the cameras. Whoever watches her program starts going to the bank and withdrawing their money, then they go and deposit it into the Legion of Doom's account!" He was asked why no effort was being made to stop it and he responded that most of the bank tellers and half of the police force were under the Legion's influence. "We can't get the wire transfers to their off-shore accounts to stop!"

"Cut the power," the Flash suggested.

"We're afraid if we do, Harley may kill the hostages," the chief confessed. "That's why we need your help. We tried to enter the studio but they've got it sealed up tight, plus we found several bombs hidden in teddy bears throughout the lower part of the building."

The Flash rubbed his chin. "I could probably disarm the bombs, maybe collect them and take them out to the desert," he offered.

"I suggest we call in Huntress and Robin as well," Dawnstar added. The two Gotham City heroes were close enough and would be best suited for dealing with the threat of Harley Quinn. What was bothering her, though, is the seemingly non-existence of Super-Woman throughout the entire ordeal.

Tsunami moved over to the membership alert board while Dawnstar tried to sooth the chief's fears. She selected the buttons with the hero's icons and pressed them, immediately sending a signal to the communicators that they were required to carry. Moments later, the voice of Helena Wayne, the Huntress, came out over the small speaker built into the console.

"Huntress, here; we're on our way to Metropolis," she said. There was a slight humming in the background and Tsunami guessed she was in the Batmobile. After the Batman had died, Helena Wayne had inherited the entire Wayne Fortune after she had passed a DNA test that proved she was related to Bruce Wayne, the alter ego of the Dark Knight. Nobody suspected that Nightwing had used Kryptonian science to alter the DNA enough to prevent any questions concerning the exact manner of that relationship.

Helena had taken custody of both Jason (Robin) Todd and Bruce (Flying Fox) Wayne, claiming the latter had been Bruce's illegitimate son. The Flying Fox was no more, however; after an adventure in which he had fallen in love with an alternate Batgirl, young Bruce Wayne had decided to pursue justice in another fashion. Now he was in college, working on his law degree.

Taking control of the Wayne Fortune had also given her access to the Batcave and all of the gadgets, tools, gizmos and technological creations therein. Tsunami knew that she had wanted to change the name of the Batmobile, but hadn't come up with a suitable title yet. Huntress-racer sounded stupid.

"It would be great if you could swing it with the local cops to let me pour on the speed," the Huntress said.

Tsunami relayed the request to Dawnstar who put it forth to the chief. "I'll handle it, Super Friends," he said before winking out.

Hundreds of miles away, a racing wisp of green energy was darting here and there, doing its best to complete its mission.

Hal Jordan was a super-hero, or at least he had been. His cousin, whom he shared his name with, had been a hero as well, the greatest one of all if you asked anyone from Coast City. He had been the second out of four Green Lanterns, but he had been the one most people had admired.

The younger Hal had been the third Air-Wave, following in the footsteps of his father and his mother. He had been reasonably successful until his cousin had come to Dallas and told him he was being granted an opportunity to join the Justice League of America. The youthful hero had jumped at the chance and putting his complete trust with his cousin, he had gone to the Justice League headquarters to be interviewed.

The first hint that something was wrong was when he entered the meeting room and Speedy of the Justice Society had been seated there with Superman and Batman flanking him. Then it was Speedy who had begun conducting the interview and immediately Air-Wave had protested.

Then it was all a blur, but he distinctly remembered feeling like someone or something was trying to probe his mind. He resisted, of course, and then there was darkness. When he awoke, he was on a deserted highway in New Mexico and his powers were gone.

That had been three years before and he had since come to the conclusion that Speedy, whoever he was, had been something far more than he had appeared. He had somehow taken control of the super-heroes, including his cousin Hal. As time passed, he had born witness to the tragic death of the super-heroes and the rise of the Legion of Doom, until he felt a change within him.

It was not rage, though he was sure he should have felt it. Instead it was determination; he had become convinced that something had to be done to prevent the Legion of Doom from taking over the world.

Two years after he had been dropped in the desert, Hal Jordan had joined the FBI, using his unique knowledge of the heroic/villain community to fight the good battle from the outside.

Stepping out of his small home he took a deep breath and caught sight of the green lance of light coming at him. He recognized it immediately and in the depths of his mind he feared that somehow his possessed cousin had managed to escape death and was after him.

It was not that he was scared of his cousin; he just did not want to face him. He honestly believed that something had taken over his mind. It was impossible for him to accept that the great Hal Jordan would ever hurt an innocent.

The moment before the green light enveloped him he had reached for his pistol, but before he could wrap his hand around the grip, it was far too late. He was whisked into the air, high above the city and was traveling at an accelerated pace. He felt none of the uneasiness that he should have; the wind did not cut into him. There was no doubt he was inside an energy bubble of a Green Lantern.

He gritted his teeth and mentally prepared himself. He was positive that his uncle was dead; he had looked at the official federal investigation files on the matter. Green Lantern had been killed in a battle with the Legion of Doom; his ring flung into the depths of the ocean. However, there had been four Green Lanterns on Earth at that time and the Legion of Doom had been pursuing all of them, trying to get their power rings.

The only other confirmed death had been Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern, who had died of an apparent suicide, his ring destroyed. What had happened to John Stewart or Guy Gardner was still being investigated.

Hal slowly reached into his coat and pulled out his weapon and flipped the safety off. He wasn't going down without a fight.

i You can read more about Super-Woman's past in Chapter 16 of _DC Comics Presents: Killing Roy Harper_ entitled "Shyla and Green Lantern".

ii Located in Missouri, it was the home of Barry Allen, the second Flash.


	3. Issue 3

The New Super Friends

Volume 2, Issue 3 (February, 2005)

Story by: Christopher W. Blaine The New Super Friends is an original concept of Christopher W. Blaine that incorporates characters, situations and ideas published by DC Comics Inc. and are used without permission for fan-related entertainment purposes only. This original work is ©2004 by Christopher W. Blaine.

_**In an attempt to recreate the universe, the Time-Guardian murdered an innocent man. From the ashes of that crime rose a group of heroes from ages that never were to ensure there was justice for all. Now, those heroes protect their new world, banded together as comrades and as a family. They are the Super Friends!**_

"Hunted by the Huntress"

"Why can't we just take the elevator, Helena" Robin asked as they stepped out of the Batmobile. The Huntress pulled back her purple hood and let her dark hair fly free in the afternoon sun.

"Call me Huntress when we are in costume, Teen Wonder" she said after giving him a stern look. "I like the idea of having a life outside the costume, don't you"

The teenaged hero nodded and adjusted his mask. "I need a better costume" he said. In fact, the uniform he now wore was much different from the one he originally sported. Gone were the short pants and pixie boots, replaced with long leggings and real footwear. The bright colors were more somber now, more mature, just as he was.

When he had first come to this world, he had been a kid in every sense, but the past few years had allowed him to grow into a man. He was taller now, more muscular and was starting to come into his own. Huntress was the senior partner, that was for sure, but that did not mean he did not have his own opinion about things.

He started to say something to her about wanting to take the elevator, again, but stopped. She was looking at him again and he felt the slight flutter in his stomach. The truth was that he had a major crush on her and had for about six months. She was not his mother; they were not related in any way except for the legal guardianship she had over him. And, she was only ten years older than him, physically. Because of the time he spent in Limbo, he was technically older than her. His body was merely catching up with his soul.

"Using the elevator will not do any good because the police have already reported that the entrances to the studio have been blocked" she said as she moved to the back of the vehicle. She started to load the launcher and Robin offered to help. She laughed. "I don't know how to take you. One minute you're complaining about having to climb up the side of the building and the next you're falling all over yourself to help me out. What is it"

"Nothing" he replied, looking around. The police had blocked off the immediate area and as promised, they had cleared a path for the Batmobile. The Flash was supposed to be meeting them, but he was late as usual. Robin remembered hearing that Barry Allen, the first Flash, had also developed a habit of never being on time.

"I think after this adventure we should have a talk" Huntress told him as she finished up. "It's girl problems, isn't it"

"I'm fine, shoot the darn rope" he snapped.

She giggled at his outburst. "I think someone has a crush. I bet its on Shyla" she mused as she stepped away. She pressed a button on her utility belt and the line launcher fired. "She'd be lucky to have a fine young man like you"

"Oh, God, Huntress, can we talk about something else? Like, why didn't you ever go after Harley Quinn in all of this time" Robin straightened his utlity belt and counted to ten. He was not going to become like all of the other Jason Todd's that had existed. He was not going to become a hot-head and die young.

A red blur shimmered into human form next to him. The Flash smiled and rubbed the thin beard along his chin. "Hey guys! Dawnstar and Tula say hello"

"You're late" Robin said as he watched the line's metal spike dig into the side of the building. Huntress moved to test the line.

"I'm not late; I had to stop and put out a fire and stop a bank robbery in another town before I got here. It's good PR" he said. Robin did not argue because he knew that the Scarlet Speedster was correct and the Super Friends needed as much good press as they could get. The public still did not completely trust super-heroes and the antics of Lex Luthor's Legion of Doom were not helping.

"Any word on how much money has been deposited" Huntress asked.

The Flash nodded. "They are trying to shut down ATM's and banks, but the computer back at the Hall of Justice estimates that the Legion of Doom is about ten million dollars richer than it was this morning."

"You could go around and dismantle the ATM's" Robin offered.

"Thought about that, but then I'll have to put them back together and to be honest, I don't think the Metropolis PD would appreciate my efforts." The Flash looked at the cops and noted that they were having some problems. "I think maybe I should help with crowd control."

"Good idea" Huntress agreed. She turned to Robin. "Let's go, partner." She started to climb up first and when he double-checked what he would be looking at, he reached up and grabbed her by the belt. "I'll go first" he offered.

"Why"

"I just want to go first"

"You need to lay off the caffeine" she remarked as she stepped out of the way. He shook his head and grabbed the line. Powerful muscles flexed as he pulled himself up and began, literally, walking up the side of the building. The Flash watched them for a moment and then turned. In less than the blink of an eye he was next to the officer in charge of the scene.

"Anything I can do to help" he asked.

The cop did a double take. "Where did you come from"

"That, sir, is a very long and complicated story. Right now, I think we need to concentrate on the crowd." The Flash gave the assembly a scan and picked out those that seemed to have malice in their eyes.

"It's bad enough trying to stop then from getting to the ATM's and running down to the nearest wire service, but now they want to come and pay tribute to Quinn" the officer told him as he shoved the face shield of his riot gear up. "We've got reports of internet servers going down because of high bandwidth traffic as people make payments to the Legion of Doom with their credit cards."

"Just tell me what you need" the Flash offered.

"Our radios are going down; we switched to a Kord Tech internet comms system a few months back. If you could scour the city and let me know if any of my men are in trouble..."

The Flash nodded. "On it, sir; be back...in a flash"

In the back of the crowd, a dark-haired woman watched the goings on with great interest. She had not expected all of this, but then she logically concluded that this was Metropolis and things like this were bound to happen. It had been awhile since she had been here, her home, and it did not feel right.

There was something different about this place; or was it her? She did not know at the moment and did not care. She had important business to attend to and all of it was within the WGBS building. She looked above the heads of the crowd and saw two figures climbing up the side of the building. She nodded, admiring their tenacity while at the same time wondering if it were not somehow suicidal to go marching into the waiting arms of Harley Quinn.

The Clown Princess of Crime was no pushover, despite the bad luck that had fallen upon her over the years.

The woman shrugged; it was not her concern. She had other things to do and they involved getting into the WGBS building at any cost.

Gunther watched as Harley smacked around a few employees before breaking into a rendition of a medley of songs from various cartoons. He kept his eye on the crowded prisoners, noting that some of them seem to be unaffected by the programing that was now running via a recorded feed. One of them was Lana Lang.

He saw her hand resting on a broach on her left breast and began to suspect that it was much more than a simple heirloom. Stepping out of the control booth, he made his way past Harley, who took the time out to squeeze his posterior, and stepped up to Lana. "I'll take the broach" he demanded.

She hesitated. The broach was how she changed into Insect Queen and though it had been several years since she last used it, she wasn't ready to just give it up. "No" she said defiantly. "You may be robbing all of them, but I'm not the kind to be cowed."

He shrugged and slapped her across the face. Harley stopped her song and dance routine and rushed to Gunther's side. "Heck, yeah! Smack her another one! She likes it, she really likes it"

He ignored Harley and reached for the broach. Harley made another comment about squeezing the forbidden fruit, but then she gave a small squeal when Gunther pulled the broach away. "Give me that you son of a..."

Harley stepped between them. "Hey, now! You don't know a thing about his momma! Why, she might have been a good old bag of farts"

"God, do you ever shut up" Gunther asked, exasperated. Harley's antics were wearing his nerves thin. "I can't believe I agreed to this mission" he said as he made his way into the control room. He set the broach on a video panel, pulled out his pistol and shot it. It exploded into a million fragments and Lana gave a scream.

Harley punched her in the stomach. "Shaddup you"

Lana went down, tears pouring down her face. In a single moment, Insect Queen had been murdered and she had only herself to mourn the loss. She now realized it was foolsih to have put on the broach during all of the confusion. Harley kicked her again, hard in the face, and Lana felt her nose break under the impact.

"Quit that crying or momma is gonna give ya anudder" Harley cried out, her accent changing to that of lifetime, blue-collar Gothamite. "Mistah J did not take that kinda crap, a needer will I"

"Harley" Gunther called out from the control room. The villainess stopped her rant and turned to him. "Yes, lover-boy" she asked, batting her eyelashes.

"The totals are coming in; looks like you made the Legion. Twelve million so far and its still rising" he called out. His tone was more upbeat with the delivery of the funds. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed in a number. "Let me ask Mr. Luthor if there is anything else he needs us to do."

Harley clapped her hands and turned back to Lana, who was trying to get up to her knees. Nobody bothered to try and help her. Those not under the control of the news tape were too scared of Harley. Harley reached down and grabbed Lana's arm. "This is how things go crack, red" she said before demonstrating her considerable strength. Lana's arm could not withstand the force that Harley put on it and it snapped with a loud crack.

In shock, Lana fell back, her eyes rolling up towards her brain. "Snotty-nosed so and so, think you're better than old Harley? Why I'm the rootin'-tootin' money rustling cowgirl with the nice round caboose"

Gunther got off the phone. "Hey, fruitcake, the boss says that the other news agencies are stating that Huntress and Robin are climbing up the side of the building" he told her. "Mr. Luthor says you have to deal with them."

"Are you going to help me, my little love-slave" she cooed.

Gunther's form began to bulge, looking like he was starting to boil. Harley said nothing, waiting to see if he actually exploded. His clothing melted away to morph into a hybrid costume that was one half Superman's and one half Batman's, right down to part of the pointed cowl. His skin took on a green hue and his height increased by several inches. Muscles, barely contained by the uniform he wore, bulged.

Before Harley stood the Composite-Superman, one of the most powerful beings on the planet and the Legion of Doom's primary enforcer. "No, I'm not."

A tear rolled down Harley's face. "Oh...oh, Gunther...how could you? What will I tell the children? Daddy is a closet shape-changer" She put the back of her wrist to her forehead. "I feel faint, quick, catch me and bring me a soothing alcoholic beverage" She started to fall towards him and he stepped out of the way, allowing her to fall to the floor.

"You make me sick" he said. "Take care of the Bat problem and we'll contact you on how to get to our headquarters" he told her.

"It isn't a Bat problem. Batman is dead" she reminded him.

"Looks like Batman, acts like Batman, it is Batman" he argued. His body began to become transparent as he applied the powers of Phantom Girl. "Doesn't matter, nutjob, this is something that Mr. Luthor wants taken care of." The he was gone, slipping down through the floor.

"Nutjob" she asked as she got herself up. "He does care, doesn't he" She them moved back to Lana. "Tell me, red, have you ever thought you found that one special guy that you wanted to make babies with and then cut their throat as they slept"

Lana did not answer and Harley gave her shapely leg a kick. "Come on, red, I've got nobody to talk to"

When her prodding produced no visible results, Harley shrugged and moved over to the anchor desk where she had laid out various explosive devices. She held one up and walked over to Linda, who was looking ahead with a blank stare. "Come here, chesty" Harley said as she grabbed the woman by the hair. She gave it a good tug. "Damn, you must use a lot of conditioner; that is some strong hair, lady."

With some effort, she managed to drag the helpless weather girl over to a corner desk. She pulled out her blouse and looked down. "Well, I'll be, they are real" she exclaimed as she produced a hand grenade and dropped it in. After about five more, she strapped a stick of dynamite to Linda's face with duct tape.

Whistling a happy tune, Harley went about the news room, grabbing several people and positioning them at various points. Some got a few explosives, some got a lot. One rather large cameraman even got a kiss on the forehead before Harley started laying out fuses.

"John? John Stewart" Hal called out as soon as he saw the withered form of Green Lantern. He quickly holstered his weapon and hoped over the rocks and refuse that littered the cave the hero was in.

He came up short as he got closer and inspected the man. His once lean, muscular form was now a skeletal memory. Eyes were sunken in and his hair was nearly gone. He looked as if he had aged a hundred years in just two. There was nothing heroic about this man anymore, Hal told himself, except for his legacy.

He knelt in the dust next to him. John's eyes opened and flashed briefly with green energy. "Hal? Little Hal...Jordan" he asked. His breath reeked of gum disease and poor diet. "It got you"

"What happened John"

"Scared...got so scared..." the former Green Lantern managed to croak out. "Take the ring...use it..."

"I've got to get you to a hospital" Hal told him. He reached for his cell phone and then threw it down when he saw that he was out of range of any transmitters. "You need medical help"

"Dying...but that's...that's okay" he said with his eyes closed. "Katma" he suddenly cried out, invoking the name of his dead alien wife. His body stiffened and then sagged, one last breath managing to escape from his deflating lungs.

Hal's eyes watered, but he did not weep. The man whom he had previously known had obviously died long before, under the control of the Time-Guardian. John Stewart would be remembered, thankfully, as a hero. He had run away when confronted with battling his friends, and his fear and perhaps cowardice had exacted an awful price from him.

"But out of the ashes" Hal said as he looked down on the power ring. He remembered how envious he had always been of his cousin, how he had gotten the most powerful weapon in the universe while Air-Wave could only skate on power lines. He smiled as he remembered better days and then reached for the ring.

It easily slipped off the emaciated finger. Hal knew it would size itself for him automatically. He was also thankful that it could transform his street clothes into a uniform of the Green Lantern Corps because, as he looked down at John's body, he did not relish the idea of putting on the one before him.

Putting the ring on he braced himself. He had always expected that something magical would happen when you became a Green Lantern, but he was mildly disappointed when only a slight breeze hit his face.

"First things first" he told himself. He held the ring up to his face. "Power Ring, tell me where your battery is at. No...show me the power battery"

He hoped there was enough charge in it to fulfill his command, but he was not sure. Power rings only held 24 hour charges. To his relief, a green lantern appeared in the air above his head. Many Green Lanterns carried their batteries in a sub-space pocket with them to prevent theft.

He recalled how his cousin used to recharge his ring. Making a fist and placing the ring against the "light" of the battery, he called out an oath.

"In brightest day, in blackest night, let no evil escape my sight! Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power..."

He stopped and swallowed. Did he really want to become a super-hero again? Could he not find someone worthy of the power ring, someone just as acceptable as himself? He was a federal agent now, using the system to bring in criminals. It was a good life.

He shook his head. Ever since he had lost his Air-Wave powers he had been in a funk. He joined the FBI because it was the closest thing to being a hero that he could find. He lived for the danger, the excitement.

Yes, he told himself, I want this! I always wanted this.

His clothing melted away, changing into a modified version of his cousin's uniform, complete with mask. "Beware my power" he bellowed. "Green Lantern's light"


	4. Issue 4

The New Super Friends

Volume 2, Issue 4 (March, 2005)

Story by: Christopher W. Blaine The New Super Friends is an original concept of Christopher W. Blaine that incorporates characters, situations and ideas published by DC Comics Inc. and are used without permission for fan-related entertainment purposes only. This original work is ©2004 by Christopher W. Blaine.

_**In an attempt to recreate the universe, the Time-Guardian murdered an innocent man. From the ashes of that crime rose a group of heroes from ages that never were to ensure there was justice for all. Now, those heroes protect their new world, banded together as comrades and as a family. They are the Super Friends!**_

"Unexpected Allies!"

Robin looked at the ventilation shaft and scratched his head. "Holy small spaces, Huntress," he said with a smile. On this world where the original Jason Todd had been less than heroic in his career, there was a lot of criticism and sarcasm relating to Robin, the Teen Wonder. Some of this included comments about the way he spoke, making him sound like nothing more than Batman's pet monkey.

"I hate it when you do that," she said as she pulled out a multitool from her utility belt. Quickly she removed the screws and the grate covering the intake. "I reviewed the plans for the building and this should get us fairly close to the studio."

He nodded and prepared to enter first but she held up a hand to block his way. "You know, I'm really getting the impression that there is some sort of tension between us."

He felt sweat begin to form on his brow. "Huntress, everything is fine. You were right, I have some girl problems is all. It will all be taken care of though, after we save the day."

He could just make out her brow furrowing under her hood, and it made his heart skip a beat. He could not figure out how it was that even when she was not trying, she was enchanting. He shook his head; had he actually used the word enchanting in a thought? "Well, I need to make sure you are 110 for this. The files in the Batcave indicate that Quinn was not only as dangerous as the Joker, but she's also a metahuman. We've never tackled one like her," she reminded him. It was true enough because most of the villains of Gotham City were nothing more than common, everyday psychopaths. Nothing special about them except their warped minds.

"I'm ready, don't worry," he lied. The problem that he now had was he was afraid of her getting hurt. He briefly wished he was back in Limbo, where things were so much easier. "We have to do this anyway."

She nodded her agreement. "The people need to believe in us again, though I'm sure my father would have preferred a little fear on the part of the populace," she said with a wry smile. It was strange when he realized that both of them, at one time, had a father named Bruce Wayne. Being placed on a world that was not his own, with a history he had no part in, sometimes had a weird effect on him.

He took a deep breath, made sure his gloves and utility belt were ready and climbed in.

Robin looked through the grate and saw several people, bound and gagged against the walls, including Linda Danvers whom he knew was really Super-Woman. Using hand signals, he relayed the information to the Huntress, who was squatting behind him, arming her crossbow. She nodded that she understood and indicated that she wanted to know where Harley Quinn was at.

He returned his attention to the newsroom and noted that there was lot of blood; not enough that someone had been gutted, but it was obvious that there were hurt people. His desire to help overrode his common sense and he pressed too hard against the grate. It had been loosened by Harley and he fell forward and out, landing hard onto the floor below which was covered with some type of sticky fluid.

"Crap! Huntress!" he called out as soon as he realized he was trapped. He would be able to get out, because it was his cape that was actually stuck, except his hands had fallen back into the glue, rendering them useless until he could twist his arms to pull his hands out of his gloves.

"Looky, looky," Harley said as she stepped out of a darkened corner. In her had she held a crowbar. "I don't know why, but it just seems appropriate to use this on you. Can you explain it?"

Robin's eyes went wide. He knew that in many timelines he was murdered by the Joker using such an instrument. "You really don't want to do that," he offered her.

Harley stopped. "You're right, but this was all I had available," she said with a big smile. "Time to die!" she cried as she raised it above her head and started running.

Like a streak of purple lightning, the Huntress literally flew out of the duct, sailed through the air, and slammed into Harley. Both women went down in a tumble, the crossbow clattering away into a corner. Huntress knew that Harley had the strength advantage over her, but she was confident that she was the better fighter.

Slipping her arms around Harley's, she tried to apply a basic "A" lock, but Harley pulled out of it and head butted the heroine hard enough that the Huntress's hood flew back. Harley punched her, this time making the Huntress roll off of her. "You are so dead, you witch, spoiling my fun like that!"

"Huntress!" Robin cried, straining to get free of his trap. He turned his head to where Super-Woman was. He noted that her chest looked especially lumpy. He just managed to pick out the telltale pineapple shape of a hand grenade in her blouse.

Harley swung her crowbar at the Huntress as both women stood up, but the daughter of Batman was ready and dodged the strike and returned it with a punch to Harley's forearm. The crowbar dropped as the Huntress struck a nerve. "Hurts doesn't it?" Huntress smiled.

"Yes," Harley replied, using a tone that indicated she thought it was a stupid question. "But it didn't hurt enough! I like it rough!"

Huntress stepped into Harley, throwing her body weight into a single strike to the chest. Over a hundred pounds of force was more than enough to throw the Joker's "widow" back and into a wall. Not willing to let up, Huntress pulled out a Batarang, flipped it fully open and threw. It cut through the air and caught Harley in the shoulder. "No fair!" Harley winced.

The Clown Princess took her uninjured arm and reached for a small device that was attached to her costume. With her teeth, she pulled out the antenna and held it up in front of her. Huntress stopped cold. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm gonna take care of you once and for all. It was you bat-types that killed my Puddin'," Harley said, her voice filled with pain. "He wasn't perfect, but he cared about me..."

"You're a real fruit loop," Robin called from his prone position. He had one hand free and was working on releasing his cape. "The Joker never cared about anyone. He wasn't able to care, just like you aren't able to feel remorse!"

"Careful, Robin, let's not provoke her," Huntress warned.

"Yeah, little boy, this is an adult conversation so go back to playing with yourself," Harley sneered. Huntress began to move forward and the villainess waved the remote. "Better watch it, toots!"

"What do you want?" Huntress demanded.

"For you to die. Kill yourself and I'll let all of these people live! I can't bring back Mr. J, but I can get revenge!" Harley pulled out the Batarang and dropped it to the floor with a clang. Robin grunted and finally pulled himself free. He stumbled next to the Huntress. "And you kill yourself, too!"

Robin grimaced. "She's not doing anything like that and neither am I."

Harley shrugged. "Then we all die."

She pressed the button on the transmitter and closed her eyes. Moments later, there was only silence. "Am I dead?" she asked with a whisper.

"No, just asleep," Super-Woman said as she punched Harley hard enough to send her flying through a wall. The Maiden of Might strode through the hole Harley had left and stepped through. Sounds of fist meeting face echoed through the newsroom and the Huntress looked over to Robbin, who only smiled.

"You know something I don't," she said. Her sidekick only continued to grin. Huntress gave him a playful shove. "Talk!" she demanded.

Robin walked over to where Linda Danvers had been sitting with the explosives in her blouse and picked up something green from the floor. He brought it over and presented it to his partner. Huntress took it and noted that it was a bullet. "Kryptonite?" she asked.

He nodded. "The Superman of this world had originally given it to the Batman, to use in the event he ever went out of control. Of course, the Batman was saving it for the day Speedy ordered him to use it, but that day never came." he went on to explain that he had found it in the Batcave and had put it in his utility belt.

"I saw Super-Woman over there, filled to the gills with explosives..."

"And he used his free hand to toss the Kryptonite at me," Super-Woman added as she stepped back into the studio. All around them people were beginning to stir from the fresh air that was now blowing in through the hole. "It weakened me and kicked me out of my hypnotic trance. I instantly knew I had to do something so I used my super-speed to change into costume," she said in a low voice to protect her identity.

"I bet you used your heat vision to disrupt the signal from the transmitter," Huntress said. Super-Woman nodded. Huntress handed the Kryptonite back to Robin who put it back in its shielded case, allowing Super-Woman to approach.

A moaning sound from behind the news desk sent the three heroes scurrying. Super-Woman reached the wounded Lana Lang first. "Rao help her," Super-Woman exclaimed.

"Quick, Robin, the Bat Medical Kit," Huntress demanded.

"We really need to come up with some better names," the teen told her as he pulled the kit off of his utility belt. "I mean, neither one of us is Bat anything."

Super-Woman happened to glance up as Robin handed over the kit and noted the look on his face when the Huntress took it from him. She filed it away for further study as Lana needed her immediate attention. "They destroyed my scarab!" the scarlet-haired woman blurted out. Her face was a mess, covered with dried blood and gore. Huntress applied a medicated salve to watch she could and pulled out the small bandage in the kit.

"What is she talking about?" Huntress asked.

"Lana used to be a super-hero, the Insect Queen. The scarab she wore gave her insect powers. Harley must have done something to it," Super-Woman said. She scanned the immediate area for Gunther, but did not see him. "She had a partner, but he's gotten away."

"My scarab," Lana sobbed.

"I'll go secure Harley," Robin offered and Huntress thanked him for his initiative. He looked at her for a second, and then a second longer until he felt Super-Woman's eyes drift towards him. Quickly he whirled around and headed out of the studio.

In the passageway he saw a lot of destruction and one Harley Quinn on her hands and knees, spitting out blood. He was impressed that she was still able to keep her eyes open as it was obvious that Super-Woman had given her a good thrashing. He reached to the back of belt and grabbed his handcuffs. "You know what these are for, don't you girl?"

He stepped closer and made a fatal error. He had assumed that Harley was beaten instead of merely tired. A surge of energy allowed her to punch up into his groin, shattering the protection he wore there and sending him to the floor. It had been decades since he had felt such pain and tears were pouring down his face even as he moaned like a dying man.

Harley slowly got her feet and tried to get away. Super-Woman appeared at the wall. The criminal turned, getting ready to make a run for it when a shadow stepped in her path. Through water-filled eyes, Robin thought it might have been Super-Woman, using her super-speed once again to get in front of Harley, but then he noticed that the shadowy figure had no cape.

Harley gave a cry as the figure punched her hard in the jaw. As she tumbled backward, Harley tried to make a statement, perhaps some type of joke, but only bood came out of her mouth. She hit the polished floor hard and did not move.

Police officers poured out of the emergency exits and elevators, having been alerted that Super-Woman was on scene and it was safe to once again enter the floor. A red blur went past them and stopped to kneel down to Robin. "Oh, man, that has got to hurt," the Flash said as he tried to get the Teen Wonder to stand up. Robin shook his head, stating that it hurt too much. The Flash sped off and returned half a second later with a startled paramedic. "Help this guy out, but leave the mask alone," the Flash ordered.

Super-Woman and Huntress entered the hallway, forcing their way past emergency services personnel that were streaming into the studio. "Flash, secure the explosives in there," Huntress commanded. The Scarlet Speedster gave a salute and disappeared, already carrying the first load out to the ocean.

Huntress stooped down and put a gloved hand on Robin's forehead. He looked at her and then yelped as the paramedic began to examine him. His face blushed and deep inside he wished that this day would just end.

Super-Woman grabbed Robin's handcuffs and secured Harley before confronting the mysterious person that had ended the confrontation with a single punch. "I've seen pictures of you, but I was led to believe you were dead," she said.

Lois Lane stepped into the light and shrugged. "Reports of my demise are often premature, dear, try to remember that." She gave Super-Woman a once over. "Don't you think that skirt is a little too short?"

Super-Woman frowned and was about to respond when someone from the studio recognized Lois and called out her name. Immediately a crowd surrounded her, even as she gave Super-Woman a knowing smirk. The Maiden of Might assumed that perhaps she deserved it. She was, after all, trying to fill the role of the greatest hero ever, someone whom Lois Lane had been very much in love with. Next to Jimmy Olsen, who was most definitely dead, Lois was the world's greatest expert on Kryptonians. Everyone from Superman to Krypto, the Super Dog, she knew nearly everything about.

She had even known Supergirl.

Nodding to Lois, Super-Woman decided to excuse herself quietly.

The after action meeting was fairly informal. Masks down and boots off, several members of the Super Friends sat around the meeting table, giving their points of view on everything that had happened.

Huntress reported that Harley Quinn was on her way to Van Zee's super prison in California to be held until she could be tried in Metropolis. She had tried to get sent back to Arkham, but the local district attorney was having none of it. Harley was looking at serious time. "And Robin is probably going to be off the active roster for a week or so, he's pretty hurt," she added.

Super-Woman opened her mouth, wanting to suggest that she and the Huntress get together later to discuss what she had observed from the young man, but then decided against it. This was an issue that would probably work itself out on its own and her meddling would do nothing but perhaps embarrass the boy.

She shook her head and pinched herself with her super strength under the table. He wasn't a boy anymore. He was an adult and was in fact much older than his physical appearance suggested. She needed to concentrate on her own life and quit worrying about everyone else's.

Dawnstar asked how Lana Lang was doing. Tsunami punched up a hospital report. "She's going to be all right, physically, but I don't know about mentally. She's taken a leave of absence from WGBS where she'll be replaced by, no surprise here, Lois Lane."

"Is it me, or does Lois' story about having lost her memory for all this time seem kind of strange?" Super-Woman asked.

"It really isn't," Huntress explained. "I checked the records in the Batcave. Believe it or not, even though he was being controlled by the Time-Guardian, the Batman still maintained files on him and his actions. It's very weird to read them. However, Lois Lane was controlled by him. When he lost control of the heroes, he lost control of her as well. It is possible she suffered some mental...deficiencies because of it."

"And how do we know she isn't the Composite-Superman in disguise?" Super-Woman asked. "I'm pretty sure that was who Harley's partner was."

"I can answer that," Dawnstar replied quietly. "The Composite-Superman was defeated in battle with a new super-hero in Houston."

Everyone began talking at once, wanting to know about the new hero. It was exciting because it could mean that the heroes that had survived the purges might begin coming out of their hiding places to help fight the Legion of Doom. "Luthor sent him to steal some equipment from S.T.A.R. Labs but he was chased away by a new Green Lantern."

"A Green Lantern?" the Flash asked, a smile on his face. In many universes the two heroes were the best of friends and he had commented more than once that it just didn't seem right to have a super team without a ring slinger. "Are we going to recruit him?"

"I am working with a local company in a marketing campaign to begin a recruitment drive. I believe that Luthor's open attacks are a signal that the Legion of Doom is going to make a bid for power," Dawnstar told them. "We were formed specifically to prevent that, but we are barely able to hold our own. They outnumber us right now."

Everyone nodded. The Legion had obviously just added Harley Quinn and despite the fact she was in custody, it still represented the fact that the Legion was growing where they were not. "Luthor, the Composite-Superman, Black Flash, Wonder Wendy, the Weasel, the Grundy and Harley Quinn...plus we know that they have at least three other members that Luthor has been holding in reserve." Dawnstar reached out and pressed a button which brought up a hologram of the Legion of Doom, extracted from a photograph taken by US intelligence services in Central America. "We believe that one of the people that cannot be made out, the one in the yellow, is some sort of Yellow Lantern, possibly using Sinestro's old power ring, which was never recovered."

"And Cheshire indicated that she believed that one of the others is the new Deathstroke, a female mercenary that assumed the mantle of the original," Huntress added. Cheshire was officially labeled an eco-terrorist by law enforcement, but the misunderstood activist had often helped out the heroes of the world when they needed it. She was a secret force for good.

Flash turned off the hologram. "Enough! It's time for dinner. Now, which one of you fine ladies is going to serve me?"

Super-Woman smiled at his obvious attempt to be funny and leaned forward, her eyes glowing red with just a hint of heat vision. "Prepared to be served. How do you ladies take your chauvinistic pig, medium rare or burnt?"


	5. Issue 5

The New Super Friends

Volume 2, Issue 5 (April, 2005)

Story by: Christopher W. Blaine The New Super Friends is an original concept of Christopher W. Blaine that incorporates characters, situations and ideas published by DC Comics Inc. and are used without permission for fan-related entertainment purposes only. This original work is ©2004 by Christopher W. Blaine.

_**In an attempt to recreate the universe, the Time-Guardian murdered an innocent man. From the ashes of that crime rose a group of heroes from ages that never were to ensure there was justice for all. Now, those heroes protect their new world, banded together as comrades and as a family. They are the Super Friends!**_

"Emerald Rebirth"

"Lois, get your pretty little can in here," Perry White called from his office. The dark-haired reporter looked up from her computer and called out. "Coming, Perry," she said.

Perry White, a large man with hair that was now more gray than brown, stood at his door, an unlit cigar in his mouth. His eyes darted to the "No Smoking" sign that was glued to the wall and he inwardly cursed. Back in his day, he reminded himself, a man could enjoy a smoke whenever he wanted.

Lois grabbed a stenographer's note pad, foregoing a palm computer that many reporters were now using, and made her way to her boss. Ever since her dramatic return a few weeks before, Lois had been buried with requests to do interviews from all of the local news shows and even the rival papers. She had confided to Perry recently that she was really interested in getting back on the beat. "After all," she had said, "I'm a reporter, not a super model."

It was an ironic statement since it was her beauty that had attracted the Man of Steel, Superman, when he had first appeared in Metropolis so many years before. Nobody at that time had known that he had been Clark Kent and Lois had only found out after the two of them had married. It was rumored that she was thinking of writing a book about their life together, but she had done nothing to confirm the stories.

Inside the office, Perry closed the door and took his customary position behind his desk. "Lois, with you back, I think the _Planet_ has a chance of becoming the number one newspaper again. We've suffered over the last two years, especially with Clark and Jimmy dying on us." He expected to see some concern in her eyes, but was surprised not to see any. Always an observant man, Perry had noted that Lois talked very little about her lost husband, which was strange considering who he had been. "I tried to lure Lana away from WGBS, but that fell through."

"Well, Lana has been through a lot," Lois said with a faint smile. Perry wanted to say something, to open a conversation, but he knew Lois would say nothing. She had been gone for two years, claiming that she had amnesia, and had been lost in the bad parts of the city. Perry had a hard time believing that Lois Lane stumbling around an alleyway would not be recognized. How had she survived? Her body, her skin...everything about her indicated a woman who had been pampered and who had taken care of herself. Women who lived on the streets bore the scars of that life.

It was almost as if she were not the same Lois Lane that he remembered.

"Yes she has, which means that I really need you to get a scoop for me," he said as he leaned forward. "You've heard of the new Green Lantern?"

"There have been so many of them Perry, I can't really begin to say which one is new. I have heard that one has been spotted in Houston, though."

He nodded. "Exactly. I want you to go down there and get his story, just like you did with Clark...I mean Superman." Again there was no reaction. "The Super Friends are probably going to recruit him and then all of the information about him will come through their official news agency. I want the real story. Is he one of the originals? If not, where did he get his power ring?"

"What if he is one of these alternate world types that the Super Friends claim are out there?"

Perry pulled the cigar out of his mouth and pointed at Lois with it. "Hogwash! They try to cover up everything with confusion and misdirection. You know I don't trust these new heroes. They say Speedy...Speedy of all people, was behind a plot to rule the world? That he was the mastermind behind the Legion of Doom. Hell, we all know it has been Luthor pulling the strings all along. That master criminal genius finally was able to pull off his revenge against the heroes of this world, like poor Clark, and that's that!"

"So, you don't think the Super Friends are legitimate?" Lois asked, suddenly interested.

He shook his head. "No! Jimmy was one of them when they called themselves the Time Wardens and he ended up dead in a warehouse fire. Then they try to shove this new Super-Woman down our throats when we all know she was once a member of the Legion, back when she called herself Shyla!"

Perry was surprised at the bitterness in his heart, but it did not stop his tongue. He had held in his feelings for a long time, not having a confidant to tell them to. All of his friends, his close friends, were dead, as was his family, all killed during the Hero Wars, the time period in which the Legion of Doom launched its powerful offensive against the Justice Society. Superman and his comrades had been real heroes, betrayed from within, he was sure, but the blame was always being laid at Speedy's feet. "Great Caesar's Ghost, Jay Garrick is the real traitor! He was a hero who joined the Legion!" he said out loud.

Lois only nodded and continued to write some notes down. Perry didn't care. She would never quote him by name if she ever used anything he said and his editorials were just as bad. He wanted to see the fake heroes brought down. Obviously, he wanted to find out if the new Green Lantern was the real deal.

"Okay, Perry," she said, taping a pencil against her perfect teeth. "I'll head down there and use my feminine wiles and reporter's instinct to get the story. But, if I get a scoop..."

"Yes?" he asked.

"Then I want something in return."

"What? A promotion?"

She nodded. "I want my contract renegotiated so that I can do television news as well. I want to work for WGBS and the _Daily Planet_."

He thought about it for only a moment. It was not unheard of and Lois had worked that way before the Hero Wars. Her new contract had strictly forbidden it because Perry and Morgan Edge, who ran WGBS, were at odds over the entire super-hero issue. "Fine, but your newspaper work better not suffer."

"It won't, Perry darling, in fact, with a larger audience, I'm sure that I can do a lot more...good," she said with a wink.

Dawnstar had seen the battle from several miles away. "I see Major Disaster gesturing towards the oil field and making motions indicating an earthquake," she said. Next to her, the Flash nodded.

"You want me to run in there and scoop him up?" he asked.

"No, let this Green Lantern handle it. If it starts to get out of control, then you can step in," she ordered. He said nothing but instead moved over to sit down on a large brown rock. "You don't like it here, do you?" she asked with a smile.

"I like my heat to be in the tropics, someplace with a lot of water so my wife can run around naked," he said, referring to fellow teammate Tsunami. "It isn't that I don't like Texas or anything like that, I just miss my wife. I was raised in Arizona until Barry Allen took me as his ward."

"On a Navajo reservation, wasn't it?" she asked, still watching the far away battle with her hawk-like vision.

"Yeah, thought about taking up archery...guess every other Roy Harper in Hypertime did, but it just never felt right. On my world, I sat around reading comic books, what ones we could get out there." He picked up a rock and threw it. "Have you ever spent any time with real Native Americans?"

She laughed. "Yes, my family! The world I came from in the 30th century was populated with the descendants of American Indians. When space travel became a reality, my people wandered the stars, looking for a home that would not be taken away from them."

"Sounds nice," he said with a sigh. She realized he was propbably thinking about his home, a planet in another timeline that had been destroyed by the Time-Guardian. "But I suppose it is not so bad here."

"No, but..." she let the sentence drift off as her thoughts moved away from the present and into the past. Only a year before she had been very happy. A fellow member of the Wardens, Hawkman, had taken a romantic liking to her and for the first time in what had seemed forever, she had felt content and complete.

But then the truth about Hawkman started to become apparent, that he was not all that he appeared to be. He had murdered a man during a mission to another world, but it had been forgiven because of the circumstances.

That had been a mistake.

She shoved the images from her mind, telling herself that Hawkman was now imprisoned and no longer a danger to her or anyone else.

She hoped.

"What's going on now," he asked her.

She looked. "Green Lantern is shaking his head and shouting something. He seems to be really angry. I would say that Major Disaster is threatening to follow through on his threat to destroy the oil fields if his demands aren't met."

"I can't understand why he asked for only one million dollars," the Flash said with a giggle. "Has he been in prison that long?"

"As I understand it, Disaster is something of a reluctant villain. He steals to get enough money to pay for medical treatments for himself or a relative or something like that." She sighed and spread her wings out in the warm southern sun. Her thoughts about Hawkman had her thinking about how lonely she was.

Because of her wings, there was no way she could have a secret identity, a life outside being a super-hero. It was that isolation that had led her to form the Super Friends. What else could she do? She was a 30th century mutant lost in a 21st century world.

She noted a brief flash of green light. "Looks like he's had enough; a big green fist just punched Major Disaster across the oil field and an even bigger catcher's mitt has hiim trapped."

The Flash stood up. "Can I go talk to him now?"

She nodded. "Just be diplomatic, Roy. We sent out a call for members and nobody responded. People, even super people, may not trust us yet. The world may believe one thing about the Hero Wars, but the rest of us know the truth. Trust is a commodity that is in short supply right now.

He nodded and then took running, arriving next to Green Lantern faster than thought. The ring-slinger jumped back at the sight of the scarlet-clad speedster. "What the hell?" he shouted, his ring suddenly reacting.

A brilliant beam of emerald energy reached out from the power ring and impacted against the chest of the Flash. Totally unprepared, the Flash was sent flying back into a cactus.

Green Lantern turned to ensure that Major Disaster was not taking an opportunity to get away and saw that he was out cold. Satisfied, he turned his attention back to the Flash. "What the hell are you doing in my state?" Green Lantern asked.

The Flash walked forward, his hand rubbing his butt. "Getting poked in the behind," he said sarcastically. "No thanks to you! I'm one of the good guys!"

"Next time announce when you're showing up!"

"Hey," the Flash began, shaking a finger at the Emerald Gladiator, "I didn't come here to be lectured to by some newbie..."

"'Newbie'? Listen here, junior, just because you have your super-hero glee club membership card doesn't make you a professional. Seems to me that you were called 'Kid Flash' for quite a while there," was the quick response. Green Lantern folded his arms over his chest and gave the other hero a hard stare. "You still haven't answer my question, junior."

"Excuse me? You look like your not much older than me," the Flash countered. "And at least I have some experience. What happened, a power ring magically appear to you while you were peeing in an alleyway?"

"This is the best the Super Friends have to offer? A wise-cracking pup of hero? You better learn your history little boy; I was in the game a long time before you came along with your little group. I was here when there were real heroes that patrolled the skies, not a bunch of freaks that claim to come from other worlds." Green Lantern then laughed.

"Oh, yeah? Who were you? Little Boy Blue?"

"Try Air-Wave."

It was Flash's turn to laugh and he doubled over as he did so. "Air-Wave? Well whoop-dee-do! Look at me, I can skate on power lines!"

"Shut up!" Green Lantern took a step forward, bringing his fist up. His power ring flashed once. "I'm a Green Lantern now."

"I can only imagine the interview for that job!" the Flash joked, wiping tears from his eyes. "'I don't have any real skills or abilities, but I took first place at the roller disco contest'!"

"Go to hell!"

"Bite me, Air-Wave..."

"Green Lantern!"

"Can you still travel through closed-circuit television lines? That was really impressive!"

"I would think that moving at the speed of light would impress someone like you, Kid Flash," Green Lantern told him, feeling he finally was getting the upper hand.

"I move _faster_ than the speed of light; you're a tortoise to my hare, Green Air-Wave...ack!"

The Flash reeled under the blow and Green Lantern allowed a large smile to cross his face. "Guess the tortoise just beat the crap out of the hare."

"You so don't want to do this," the Flash told him, cracking his knuckles and then rubbing his jaw. "I can hit you over a thousand times a second."

"If you can get to me; my ring protects me from everything from nuclear bombs to idiots in red costumes." A green glow enveloped him and he slowly began to rise in the air. "I'm betting you're here to offer me a spot on your team. Well, tell Super-Woman and the rest of the them that Green Lantern isn't interested. I saw what being on a team can do firsthand. Green Lantern works alone!"

Then, with a single thought, he rocketed into the sky and out of site.

"Pretty original way to contact someone," Green Lantern said as he dropped onto the balcony. It had been some eight hours since his confrontation with the Flash and his mood had considerably brightened. An invitation to dinner had been left for him in the form of a large billboard in downtown Houston. On it, Lois Lane, pointing out like in the old recruiting posters of World War 2 of Uncle Sam, was quoted as saying "Green Lantern, I want you!"

His investigations into it revealed, from the person who actually rented out the sign, that Miss Lois Lane of the Metropolis _Daily Planet_, and the widow of Superman, wanted to meet him at the most expensive hotel in the city for dinner.

As Hal Jordan, Green Lantern was able to use his FBI influence and connections to pull the file on Miss Lane. The information was mostly from before the Hero Wars, where Miss Lane had been well-respected by the government for her no-nonsense approach to journalism. A staunch liberal, she had never allowed her politics to cloud her reporting which made her popular on both side of the congressional aisle.

Her ties to Superman, which were revealed only after his death, offered no real peak into the lives of the heroes under the control of the Time-Guardian. Hal had even suspected that neither Superman or his wife had known that they were being controlled by the Time-Guardian all of those years.

Lois Lane stepped out from the apartment, clad in a dress that had a deep plunging neckline and a side cut that seemed to go up to her armpit. "I've never been known for being shy," she said, stepping into the light being cast by his power ring. "You're younger than I thought, but not by much."

He nodded and tried to guess her age. He knew from her file she was supposed ot be in her mid-thirties, but it was impossible to tell. Her form indicated someone very athletic and she seemed absolutely flawless. He steadied himself, thinking that perhaps he was looking at her with rose-colored glasses. How long had it been since he had even kissed a girl? Years? Had he been so engrossed with his work that he had simply forgotten about the fairer sex?

Still, he could not detect any flaws on her and as he scanned her skin, it became apparent that she was...different. She had no moles or birthmarks; there was no droop to her chest that would normally come with age. It was almost like she had been built to perfection. "My eyes are up here," she said with a smile.

He blushed, realizing that he had been concentrating on her skin, but it had appeared that he was gazing at much more. He quickly appologized. She stepped over to the table that had been set and cast him a seductive look. "Don't be sorry, just be interested," she said.

He wondered if it were possible; was Lois Lane coming on to him? Well, she was a widow and he was single. "What did you need to see me about, Miss Lane?" he asked, drawing on his career as an FBI agent to relax.

"Besides dinner? I wanted an interview," she said frankly.

"Oh," he replied, a little dejected. He had been full of other hopes and a smile crept its way across his face as he realized that he had been thinking like a high school freshman.

"And maybe later some dessert," she replied with the same openess.

"That doesn't seem very ethical," he told her, sitting down.

"Please," she laughed as she handed him a bottle of wine. He used his power ring to produce a corkscrew and began to open it. "The fact I'm attracted to you has nothing to do with the story. I came for the story first."

"Been in Houston long?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Long enough to run up a helluva an expense account. My editor is going to go through the roof when he sees this one. I better have a good story for him. You're like a new Superman to the people and he wants...no, the citizens of the world, want to know about you."

It was an odd choice of words, bringing up her dead husband like that. He didn't know whether to be horrified or feel like he had been complimented. "I'm nobody special, just a guy who happens to have a power ring."

"Hal Jordan."

"Excuse me?" he asked, wondering how she had learned his identity.

"Hal Jordan, the second Green Lantern. I interviewed him years ago when they formed the Justice League of America and he said the same thing." She sat down and offered him two empty glasses. "In fact, you remind me a lot of him, only younger."

"And you interviewed him dressed like this?"

She laughed, making slight snorting sound when she did so, putting him somewhat at ease. "I dressed up because...well, because it has been a while since I had an intimate dinner with a man."

"You must miss your husband," he said.

She shrugged. "The truth is, and this is between me an you, I don't remember very much of it. I remember falling for Superman, but our subsequent romance and marriage is a blank in my mind." She pulled the covers off of the plates of food, revealing a Texas favorite of steak and potatoes. Green Lantern felt his belly rumble at the sight of the food and he tried to remember what he had eaten last.

"Now," she said, putting her elbows on the table and leaning in close. "How did you get your ring?"

He eyed her...bounty and then the steaks. If the wine had been beer he would have sworn he had gone to Heaven. "John Stewart. He died recently and passed on his ring to me."

"He wasn't killed in the Wars?" she asked, surprise in her voice. "He hasn't been seen since."

"He was busy doing other things," he lied. He did not want to taint the memory of the fallen warrior by explaining that he had wasted away from the fear that had gripped him in the wake of the Time-Guardian's grab for power.

"So, will you be revealing your identity to the world at large like your predecessors did?" She poured some dressing onto her salad. "Or would that put your wife or girlfriend in danger?"

He smiled at her thinly-veiled attempt at fishing for information. He decided to bite. "There is nobody special in my life, but I prefer to keep my name to myself."

"A man of mystery, a true super-hero, like Batman?"

"Uh, yeah," he remarked, remembering that Batman had been the Time-Guardian's personal assassin. The world didn't know that, though.

"Will you be joining the Super Friends?"

"No."

She looked up from her food. "That was quick. You have a problem with them?"

He took a long drink from his wine before continuing. "I don't like teams. Teams have too many factors that cannot be controlled. I mean, look what happened to the Wardens last year with Hawkman."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I was sort of out of it at that time and I haven't kept up on everything."

He blushed again. "I'm sorry, Miss Lane..."

"Lois. My _close_ personal friends call me Lois."

He nodded. "All right, Lois, then you should know that Hawkman went insane last year and tried to kill the members of the Wardens. It seems he's a little unstable in the brain. Their official story is that he suffered an emotional breakdown of some sort, but I don't buy it. He's locked up in their special prison out in California."

"The one run by Dr. Zee?"

"Yeah, who used to be Nightwing. He had powers like Superman until Hawkman exposed him to a red solar energy ray that stripped them away. Now he's a normal guy like you and I." He saw her straighten a bit at being called a "guy".

He went to work on his steak, embarrassed at how difficult it was to talk to a woman for him. "But, wouldn't you think that being on the team would be necessary? Aren't you a galactic policeman or something like that?"

"I haven't heard a word from any other Corps members if they are even still alive. The Guardians of the Universe, which controlled the Green Lantern Corps, didn't seem to want to find John," he said, catching himself before he revealed too much. "Why do you care anyway?"

"Well, you know that the _Daily Planet_ has taken the stance that the Super Friends, and the Wardens before them, may have been partially responsible for the Hero Wars?" He indicated that he had read some of the editorials on the Internet. "Well, if that is true, then maybe it is your duty to be there, keeping an eye on things."

He paused in his chewing and considered it. Before he had come to this dinner, he had been quite proud of himself about how he had handled the Flash and his attempts to join the Super Friends. Now, sitting under the stars with a beautiful and flirtatious woman, he was having second thoughts. "I mean, isn't that what super-heroes do?"

He nodded and found himself agreeing with her the more he ran it over in his head. If he were on the Super Friends roster, he would be in a better position to take down any Time-Guardian style conquerers the second they showed their faces. "I don't think they'll take me now. I punched out the Flash today."

"I'm a reporter, I can write a story that will have the people clamoring to have you inducted," she cooed. Then she stood up and sauntered over to him. She had the grace of a dancer in the way she moved and he could not help it when he felt his heart begin to race. "And that," she said as she stopped and bent low to give him a soft kiss on the lips, "is only one of my skills."


	6. Issue 6

The New Super Friends

Volume 2, Issue 6 (May, 2005)

Story by: Christopher W. Blaine The New Super Friends is an original concept of Christopher W. Blaine that incorporates characters, situations and ideas published by DC Comics Inc. and are used without permission for fan-related entertainment purposes only. This original work is ©2004 by Christopher W. Blaine.

_**In an attempt to recreate the universe, the Time-Guardian murdered an innocent man. From the ashes of that crime rose a group of heroes from ages that never were to ensure there was justice for all. Now, those heroes protect their new world, banded together as comrades and as a family. They are the Super Friends!**_

"Second Chances"

"Green Lantern, huh?" Robin asked as he scratched the back of his head. He knew that the man in the green and black costume was really the new ring-slinger, but the fact that he didn't look much older than him was disconcerting. He knew what a power ring was capable of and he wasn't too sure that a young person was the right choice to possess one. But then again he realized that he wasn't in any position to decide the issue.

"Yeah," the other hero said, carefully taking in every detail of the Hall of Justice. He didn't trust any of them, even more than he normally would have. Ever since he and Lois had become lovers, he had begun to see things in a different light. Maybe it was being with an older woman? Heck, he thought, she was only a few years older than him; well, ten wasn't that many after all.

And he was about six years older than the youngster in front of him. God, he thought, we are all babies compared to what used to be the lock, stock and barrel of the super-hero community. "Where is everyone else?"

Robin shrugged. "Huntress is on Trouble Alert duty, or monitor duty if you want to call it that. Our computers are hooked to every law enforcement agency in the free world and even to some in the not-so-free countries." He seemed very proud of the fact but it was nothing that could not be found out on their website. "A lot of it was Justice League equipment that Nightwing overhauled for us."

"Nightwing is no longer a member, is he?" he asked. He knew that the Kryptonian hero was not, but he was hoping to garner some information as to why. The official story was that he retired, but there were rumors that he had lost his powers. How a Kryptonian, the same race as Superman, were able to become powerless was something he needed to know. Super-Woman, the vice-chair of the Super Friends, was also from Krypton.

"No, but I'm not exactly sure why," Robin lied. He was not sure how much information he should give out just yet. The fact that Nightwing was now a normal human was not common knowledge. Not like the fact that Hawkman had turned renegade! "Flash and Tsunami are at the doctor's; she's pregnant."

"Yeah, I have cable and I watch the news," Green Lantern told him and then instantly regretted it. There was no direct evidence that the Super Friends were evil and Robin seemed nice enough. Maybe he should give the guy a break.

He was about to apologize when something caught his eye on the balcony above them. The second floor was a series of rooms, much like in a fancy hotel. It was there that individual members could reside if they wished. A female figure with wings stepped out of a room and made its way to the stairs. He knew that it was Dawnstar, the leader of the Super Friends.

When she got to the bottom of the stairs, Robin gave a gasp. Green Lantern's brow crumpled as he fought the urge to use his ring to imprison her in a green force cage.

Normally Dawnstar was clad in traditional Native American clothing, which allegedly reflected her ancestry. Now she wore a crimson and green costume that was skin-tight and allowed nothing to imagination concerning her physical health. He recognized the colors: they were Thanagarian.

Hawkman had been a member of the Wardens, but had gone rogue. He had attacked the Wardens, according to official FBI files and had tried to kill them all. The public at large dismissed it, as they often had in the past. Super-heroes were always fighting something. Now he was locked away in the special prison that Nightwing had created in California.

Dawnstar had been Hawkman's girlfriend, which immediately made her suspect in Green Lantern's eyes. Now she was dressed like him. The only real difference was that her wings were natural where his had been artificial.

"Do you like it?" she asked, a genuine smile on her face. "I thought it was time for a change."

Robin was enthusiastic about it and Green Lantern faked being impressed. To him, it was a dangerous sign, a possibility that maybe the sickness that seemed to have infected Hawkman had spread. "Calling yourself Hawkgirl now?" he asked.

Her smile didn't waver. "Actually, yes."

Ted Kord had once been a super-hero, a real live-action comic book character that had hung out with the members of the Justice League. He had been important, reknown for his scientific genius as well as his sense of humor.

All of that changed the day he suddenly realized that his world was a lie. He had never really figured out what it was, the exact event that had cleared his mind, but when it occurred, he understood immediately that he was in danger. Speedy, the man behind the mind control that made all of the super-heroes puppets, sent the Batman after him. The Dark Knight was the personal assassin of Speedy and he had taken his time in torturing Ted.

In the end, though, the Batman had not killed him, but instead had left him paralyzed from the waist down. Crippled, but not defeated, Ted went into hiding when the Wars started, supplying data and information to law enforcement as the cyber-sleuth Oracle.

With the defeat of Speedy and the rise of the Warden/Super Friends, Ted decided to come out of hiding and immediately reclaimed his personal fortune. With it he established Kord Enterprises as a leader in computer technology. It also brought him into contact with Lana Lang, who did several stories on his business.

Now instead of being interviewed, he was asking the questions. "How is your physical health?"

Lana, clad in a large, fluffy bathrobe, her hair damp from the hot shower she had taken after spending the morning exercising, laughed. "The best it has been in years, darling." To prove the point, she pull her robe open slightly to bare a long, slender leg. "Look at those calves."

Ted chuckled. "You've always had fat calves, Lana."

A hurt look crossed her face but then she realized her wheelchair bound friend was only joking with her. "All right, Mr. Kord, my physical condition is great. No smoking, at least for a couple of years now, and I don't drink...much."

"You've kept your girlish figure, but to be honest, Lana," he began as he wheeled over to a large computer terminal. Several monitors surrounded the interface, all of them worth several thousand dollars each. "You aren't super-hero material. You were Insect Queen when you were sixteen and now you're thirty-something. You might be a babe on the newscast, but that does not translate into being physically ready to fight crime."

"I've always been Insect Queen," she started.

Ted held up a hand to cut her off. "And we both know that any time you used your powers after you left Smallville, that you had Superman or Jimmy Olsen to help you out." He began typing on one of the four keyboards in front of him, using a program that was running on an operating system he had designed called Beetle. Suddenly, the screens came alive with different photos of her in her former super-hero identity.

She looked at each picture and felt a tear start to form. Just a few weeks before, Harley Quinn had taken over the WGBS building along with the Composite-Superman who was in disguise as someone named Gunther. The villain had destroyed the magic broach that had given her insect powers.

She hadn't really used it for a long time, but it had always been there. Every time she had looked at it, she was reminded of the good times, the simpler times of her life in Smallville. There she had romanced Superboy. There she had been a young woman of dreams. Now she was older and her dreams were gone, replaced by waking nightmares.

She had discovered that her old friend Clark Kent had been Superman and had to accept the fact that he had loved Lois Lane and not her. Then Clark had been killed in the Wars as had Lois, until it was revealed she was still alive. Now Lois Lane was back, the true Darling of Metropolis and Lana had been relegated to her second-class status.

"I'm not really sure that this will work. I didn't develop it; Dr. Hamilton did when he worked for me," Ted explained. In a room nearby where there were large windows to look in, a table rose out of the floor. "I've been tempted to try the damn thing myself, to see if it could reverse the damage to my spine." His eyes drifted down to the wheelchair, but there was no sadness in his voice. He had long ago accepted his fate. "I'm just barely able to understand the science behind it."

"Well, you're the best chance I have with Dr. Hamilton dead," she pointed out as she stepped next to him. She out a hand on his shoulder and he felt a shudder move through him. He cared so much for her that he would do anything to make her happy, even risk her life if she asked for it. "I need you, Ted."

He nodded. "I said I would help and I've never lied to you."

She stooped over and kissed him on the top of the head. "That's why I can trust you."

She moved away and walked over to the other room. She dropped her robe at the door; modesty around Ted was pointless as he no longer had any romantic interests, or so she thought. In truth, looking at her from behind merely reminded him of the more personal limitations his condition placed upon him. But, he had to maintain the facade that he was a eunuch in mind as well as body because he was too afraid of her rejection.

Nude, she moved over to the table and got on it, laying back. From out of the ceiling a large device lowered, looking like a laser used in old spy movies. Ted's fingers flew over the keyboards, activating controls and issuing commands. He didn't say anything because they both knew she was not going to back out.

Then, in an instant, she was bathed in yellow light, but she made no sound. She only closed her eyes and let herself be exposed to the energy. The visible wavelength changed from yellow to green and then to blue, but all was silent. The only sound was a clicking coming from the device as it cycled through the different lenses.

She had expected to feel something, maybe a burning sensation or even something akin to sexual excitement, but all that she could sense was boredom. She tried not to be, tried to concentrate on what this actually meant for her, but it could not be helped. Five minutes into the experience, she yawned.

"Don't fall asleep, Red," Ted said over the intercom. "Almost done."

And true to his word, she was out of the room within three minutes, scooping up her robe to cover herself as she stepped into the more common area. Ted did have a few servants that worked the mansion/laboratory he called home. "Is it done?"

He shrugged. "Do you feel any different?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. Except I'm kind of hungry."

He wheeled away from her and towards a small table that was covered with different plates of food. Some were cold cuts, others were fresh vegetables and fruits, while another had several frosted donuts.

Lana came over and dove into the pastries. Ted only nodded as she gorged herself. "That makes sense. Hamilton's notes indicated that your body will need quick energy to maintain your new biolelectric field to full strength."

"I...uhhh," she moaned as she fell to the floor. Ted pushed himself over and tried to reach down to her, but was prevented by his condition. Lana rolled over onto her back, her robe coming open. Her skin was glistening with sweat, but she did not complain of being hot. Instead, she clawed at her stomach and Ted was shocked that her long fingernails did not mark her skin, but there was no sign of damage.

Quickly his mind raced, going over all of the note he had read and comparing them to what Lana was experiencing. She suddenly flipped over, her bare back before him. Then they appeared.

Wings, insect-like, seemingly wafer thin, grew out from her back. She got to her knees, but was still hunched over and despite the pain she was obviously in, Ted could not help but be fascinated by what was happening to her. Muscle began to form across her back, not just to support the new wings, but stretching into her shoulders and arms. Not bulky muscle one would find on Austrian body-builders, but strong, sinewy ones that were powerful and alluring all at once.

With an effort she stood up, though she still bowed slightly at the waist. She turned to him to speak and he noted that her eyes were glowing yellow. "I can't see," she said.

A side-effect of the treatments, he knew, and he reached into a side pocket on his chair to grab his sunglasses. "Your eyes are extremely sensitive to light. You should be able to see very well in the dark, but if you don't protect your eyes, you could damage them.

She straightened up and gave a gasp. She was fully a good four inches taller and her wings spread out with a span as wide as she was tall. Her breasts, which had been suffering from the effects of 30+ years of gravity, suddenly seemed fuller and firmer, a result of the muscles rippling across her chest. Even her abdomen, which had been dainty and feminine, was now rock hard. Biceps bulged, but again not in an unattractive way.

She looked like a winged, sunglass wearing, redheaded Wonder Woman.

"Will it always hurt like that?" she asked. Her voice was a little deeper, or maybe it was just confidence?

"No, it shouldn't, but it is going to take time to teach you how to use your new powers." he moved a little closer and put a hand on her skin. It was soft, but he could feel the toughness of it. "How do you feel now?"

"Very hungry," she said as she tried to turn her head to see her wings. "I've got real ones!" She began to spin in her excitement and Ted watched with more scientific interest than anything else. It was amazing, that was for certain, but he wondered what other side-effects there would be.

An alarm klaxon suddenly went off and without another thought, Ted turned and wheeled over to his computer workstation. "Super Friends Trouble Alert," he said. Ted had been responsible for most of the networking for the Hall of Justice and was in fact a secret member of the team as Oracle.

"Damn, it looks like Luthor has decided to make another move. A couple of armed thugs are trying to get the Weasel free." He typed in a few more commands and a window opened up on the monitor in front of him. It showed several burning police cars and some masked gunmen trading shots with the police.

"The Super Friends are busy with a ship that struck a reef off of Florida," Ted cursed. He turned to Lana to tell her that he would busy, but all he saw was her posterior as she ran from the room. "Lana, for God's sake, put on the costume I made for you!"

The gunmen had the advantage of superior firepower and body armor, while the police were at the distinct disadvantage as they tried to protect the Weasel and prevent him from escaping. They fired in defense and tried to move away from their wrecked vehicles.

SWAT was trying to get a good position, but a rocket-powered grenade had taken out one of their trucks, costing the lives of several officers. The gunmen were hired thugs and mercenaries, not a one of them a real member of the Legion of the Doom, but all hopeful to gain membership as at least a henchman.

The self-appointed leader of the gang was a former British commando who was confident he would be able to handle a couple of city cops. He had fought in the Middle East and had even, so he claimed, had murdered Catman.

So he was fully caught off-guard when a winged woman in a yellow costume buzzed overhead and nailed the guy behind him with some sort of electric blast that came from her hands. He had expected maybe Super-Woman, but she was busy somewhere else he knew; this was something unexpected.

The Weasel, who was being transferred to California to wait for execution for the murder of some police officers, called out to the ruffians to hurry. The leader swore and brought his rifle up. "Oh, I'll hurry," he said, pulling the trigger.

The Weasel went down in a spray of blood, killed for failing as a member of the Legion. The Weasel had the opportunity to kill Cheshire but had messed it up and the eco-terrorist had recently foiled the Legion's plans in the Everglades. The team had been forced to relocate to the swamps of the Louisiana Bayou.

A strong hand took the rifle away from him and then an even stronger foot kicked him in the face. The yellow clad woman dropped to the ground with the speed of a fly and then jumped up, kicking him again and sending him flying over a car. She whirled, firing another blast that burned through the body armor. Melted metal dripped onto the man's chest and he screamed, throwing away his weapon. Three SWAT members jumped him even as the woman jumped into the air.

Suddenly the tide turned and the police swarmed the remaining criminals. "You got it boys?" the woman asked.

Several younger cops looked up at her and grinned. "Thanks, ma'am! You Super-Woman's new partner?" one of them called.

The woman laughed. "Nobody partners with her, but I'll call her friend any day of the week!"

"You're all right with us, Bug Lady!" another once called as he released a choke hold on a thug as he was handcuffed.

"The name is Stinger boys, and don't you forget it!" she called back.

Stinger then waved and flew away, fast as could be. One of the cops, after shoving his capture into a waiting police car and then stepping out of the way of some fire department personnel, smacked another cop on the back. "Did you see that? Hot! Hot! Hot!"

"Yeah, yeah," the other officer said. "Now let's get back to crowd control."

The other officer agreed but soon faded into the background. Once he was sure he was unnoticed, he slipped into a nearby alleyway and allowed his disguise to fade away. The Composite-Superman then brought his watch up and spoke into it. "Luthor, the Weasel is dead, but we have a problem."

Lex Luthor's face appeared on the watch face. He looked as angry as he sounded. "Another super-hero? Where in the blue blazes are they coming from? Did you scan her mind? I hope so because all of the cable news channels are alive with film of her!"

"I can't read her mind," the Composite-Superman confessed. "I think she has some sort of bioelectrical powers." Had he retained the intelligence of Brainiac 5, he would have been able to give a definite answer. As it was, he could only guess, but it was one that was right on the money.

"Forget about it and come back to base, we have other problems," Luthor ordered before signing off.

The Composite-Superman, head hung low, turned invisible and then rose into the air.


End file.
